Project Description

RSPCA POCKET PETS

Yagoona | Community

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This fun and engaging landscape has been created to promote the positive adoption of our ‘Pocket Pets’ (small animals such as Rabbits, Guinea pigs and the occasional ferret). This area was created to allow the general public, including small family groups and individuals to get up close and personal with some of the more “pocket” sized animals that are up for adoption. The space allows for individual enclosures, but also more open planted areas that permit you to take your potential animal and sit, engage, and just get to know them in a relaxed setting. It also encourages potential new owners to be educated on how to care for their new friend and the responsibility of ownership.

Each of the hutches are colour coded to draw the attention of the visitor and the layout enables 360° viewing of the animals. The pets can access external areas from each of the hutches and connect to the lower level by an easy access run, this area is planted with a mix of edible greens, allowing interaction for the animals and allowing the general public to be able to pick a bunch of greens and engage with the rabbits or guinea pigs. The key was to get the balance right with enclosures, gates and fencing but not make the space feel like a prison. Black fencing was selected as the colour recedes and the planting is then the hero, this is complemented by a crushed gravel paving area that reduces heat mass and allows for overland water penetration.

Oversized seating pebbles and larger enclosed runs with native grass mounds allow for groups to come together, as does the synthetic grass seating pod for the classroom education talks. All in all we understand from the RSPCA that this landscape design is having amazing success with an incredible increase in adoptions, so happy Pocket Pets and even happier families. As Costa Georgiadis and the incredible film crew from Gardening Australia found out first hand, when they visited the RSPCA for a days filming. So, after reading all about this project and you are may be thinking about adopting a new furry friend, talk to the amazing team at the RSPCA and they can assist, so remember despite their smaller size, pocket pets require just as much care and responsibility as their larger-sized animal friends.

“Outstanding landscape design! The landscape spaces have transformed our site Outhouse design had infinite patience working with our challenging site and their flexibility in meeting our changing needs was incredible. Highly recommend Steve and his team. ”